Iraqi forces pressed their offensive against the Islamic State (IS) group Friday, expecting to reach the outskirts of the militant-held city of Tikrit, a day after the extremists reportedly “bulldozed” a famed archaeological site in the area.

A driver plowed his car into pedestrians in Jerusalem Friday, injuring five people in an attack that further inflamed tensions a day after the Palestinians vowed to halt security coordination with Israel.

Donations to Islamic State (IS) jihadists have dramatically declined in the wake of brutal executions by the group that have shocked public opinion in the Middle East, the chief of U.S. intelligence said Monday.

Backed by allied Shiite, Sunni and Iranian fighters, Iraqi security forces launched a large-scale military operation Monday to recapture Saddam Hussein's hometown from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, a major step in a campaign to reclaim territory in northern Iraq controlled by the militants.